Mr Porter buying director: Men becoming more open to try new styles, fabrics and shapes
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In this interview, Daniel Todd, buying director at Mr Porter, reveals menswear trends for the coming season, which brands are currently performing well at the online retailer and plans for the summer.
Which items are currently doing well at Mr Porter?
We’re seeing all summer categories from our top luxury brands selling well at the moment, as our customers prioritise investment styles. Loro Piana’s suede loafers continue to fly off the site alongside lightweight suede and denim jackets from Brunello Cucinelli and Tom Ford.
There has also been a notable increase in sales of formal trousers as men are now styling them with more casual items such as knitwear, polos and casual shirts. Alongside this, we’ve seen a surge in demand for bright, colourful fine jewellery - with bracelets our best-selling style from this category.
Which brands are performing strongly for you?
Our top luxury designers including Saint Laurent, Brunello Cucinelli and Celine Homme remain amongst our best-selling brands on Mr Porter. We are also seeing huge growth from designers like Loewe and The Elder Statesman. Additionally, our own label Mr P. has grown from strength to strength and is now amongst our best-performing brands on site.
Have you recently added any new brands to your range?
We’re always on the look-out for new and exciting brands to add to our roster - many of our customers credit Mr Porter as being a place of discovery for new designers. This season, we’ve expanded our casualwear offering with the addition of Japanese brand Kaptain Sunshine, Copenhagen based label mfpen and Indian based brand Kardo. Furthermore, our first Thai jewellery brand Pattaraphan is due to launch with an exclusive collection of fine jewellery.
How is customer interest in the Mr Porter Futures collections?
The three Mr Porter Futures designers, Miles Leon, Manakki and Saif Ud Deen, are growing with interest with our global customer base. As new, unknown brands to the market, it is important that we help educate our customer base on the core values of these brands. The brands have recently started to drop their latest FW23 collections on Mr Porter - so looking forward to seeing how they perform.
Are there any new capsule collections currently planned?
We recently launched our Summer Stories campaign on Mr Porter, which champions our summer category across both mainline collections and through a curated edit of exclusive capsules. Within this campaign, we’ve recently launched exclusive collections with brands such as Sunspel and Los Angeles-based brand Cherry LA.
On June 19, in line with the next phase of the campaign ‘Al Fresco’, we will launch a series of exclusive capsules with iconic Italian brands celebrating Italian craftsmanship and resort wear. Following this, we will also be launching a range of exclusive jewellery to covet this summer.
Which menswear trends do you anticipate for the upcoming season and beyond?
Quiet luxury will remain a key trend for the upcoming season and beyond, with brands focusing on timeless pieces in luxury fabrics. Sustainability and circular fashion are more important than ever, so I expect to see this emphasis from brands with a focus on creating no waste.
The bright, bold colours we’ve seen across SS23 collections will continue into forthcoming seasons along with an emphasis on denim and workwear. Additionally with men becoming more open to trying new styles, fabrics and shapes, the use of experimental fabrics will be highly relevant.
The interview was conducted in written form.